So this post is for the newbies. My other 1/2 is out tonight consoling a co-worker friend who has some boy problems. So I'm entertaining myself tonight, and thought I'd post some handy tips at the same time. Here's an old school (and pretty obvious) trick for making your own trigger pull gauge. It works equally well with rifles or handguns, but I'll use handguns to make it simpler. Needless to say, all guns need to be unloaded, double checked that they are unloaded, and lastly, unloaded. Check that last point twice.

So let's say you don't have a trigger pull gauge (or, as in this case, it's down two flights of stairs and you don't feel like going to get it). You can make your own for free. Here's what you need:

1) The gun you want to test. Preferably pretty and shiny. ($0, you have it already.)
2) 3 to 4 coat hangers, the plastic ones with skirt hooks from her closet work best. ($0, she has them.)
3) $1000 to $2000 worth of other handguns. ($0, you already have them, or you are eventually going to buy them, you know it ;) ).
4) A light fixture on your ceiling ($0 - or use a closet rod)
5) If testing a 1911 or similar, you need a rubber band, or a prophylactic device (If you use the prophylactic, I insist you use a clean one - $0.75)

Now, string up the coat hangers as pictured below. If using the 1911, tie the rubber band (or whatever) around the grip safety to defeat it. Cock the gun, and start hanging more handguns off the skirt attachment points until you get a "click." You know have a reference point. Some people use fishing weights, water in a bucket (measure the volume and you have the weight), etc. I know these are more practical, but mixing and matching handguns is more fun to me!

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd275/kamerer/1911s/IMGP5067.jpg

NOTE: 1911's work great for this. An unloaded full-size 1911 should weight just an ounce under 2.5 lbs. So you can stack in regular increments of 2.5, 5, 7.5lbs, etc. If you get a "click" at 2 1911's, (5lbs), drop off the full size 1911 and go to a commander, for example (- 4 ozs). Or got to a 2.5" S&W K frame revolver (- 8 ozs). Now you are getting the hang of it. You can accurately estimate your trigger pulls to within +/- 2 ozs this way, even if you don't have a scale. All the weights (empty, of course!) are available online.

Other good uses for this:

1) At Christmas, use instead of Mistletoe!
2) At the Fourth of July, a 2nd Amendment ornament!
3) If in Texas, a very cool, albeit expensive, wind chime!

And in case anyone is offended by the "Stars and Bars" on the grip of the Caspian, I'll include this shot, which captures the spirit of our household. Note the home-made Menorah to the left of the "Stars and Bars." We are an equal opportunity household. No one here is even Jewish, nor do we live in the South. We just embrace all the beauty that is Amercal...